This invention relates to disposable excreta management devices, and more particularly, to a method for manufacturing disposable excreta management devices.
Disposable excreta management devices in the form of excreta incontinence protection devices or in the form of excreta collection devices for medical purposes are known in the art.
Representative devices of the former type are disclosed in, e.g. EP 0 140 470. It discloses disposable devices which include a water-impervious barrier sheet formed as a bag, an opening to be located next to the wearer""s uro-genital area to receive the discharged urine, and containing an absorbent material to absorb the discharged urine. EP 0 140 470 additionally discloses the presence of a wicking layer between the opening and the absorbent material.
Representative urine collector devices are disclosed in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,804,377. It discloses a urine collector device for infants or small children having a flexible collection bag and an adhesively-faced attachment member joined to the bag.
Representative urine collector devices containing an absorbent material are disclosed in, e.g., WO 00/00113. It discloses a urine collector device for infants or adults, furthermore, for bedridden patients or active patients, having a flexible collection bag, an adhesive flange joined to the bag and an absorbent material to be contained within the bag. The device is a superior disposable urine management device which has a long wear period and ensures perfect fit and conformance to the wearer. Additionally, the device is designed to be worn instead of a diaper by a baby, small child or incontinent adult.
However, none of these publications disclose a method for manufacturing such an above-mentioned superior disposable excreta management device efficiently.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing a disposable excreta management device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a disposable excreta management device having a plurality of folds on the surface of the liquid impermeable body facing sheet.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a disposable excreta management device having a hydrogel adhesive to attach the device to wearer""s body.
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a disposable excreta management device comprising a liquid impermeable body facing sheet having an opening, a liquid impermeable garment facing sheet, and an adhesive flange provided adjacent to the opening for releasable attachment to the body of the wearer. The adhesive flange comprises a substrate layer and an adhesive layer. The liquid impermeable body facing sheet has plural folds thereon. The plural folds comprises at least one lateral fold and at least a pair of longitudinal folds. The method comprising the steps of: combining a continuous liquid impermeable body facing sheet web and a discrete adhesive flange to make a first continuous composite web at a first combining section; forming lateral fold on the continuous liquid impermeable body facing sheet web at a first fold forming section, and then forming a pair of longitudinal folds on the continuous liquid impermeable body facing sheet web at a second fold forming section; combining the first continuous composite web and a continuous liquid impermeable garment facing sheet web to make a second continuous composite web at a second combining section, and cutting the second continuous composite web into the discrete disposable excreta management devices.